Saudi Arabia MERS death toll exceeds 180

The number of victims of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) infection in Saudi Arabia has increased, reaching 189 people, a message posted on the website of the country's Health Ministry said on June 2.

Around 571 people have been infected with coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, according to the message.

The virus was first revealed in Saudi Arabia back in 2012. The cases of infection have also been recorded in France, Germany, Jordan and the United Kingdom. Those infected have symptoms resembling Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The genome of the new virus was first deciphered at the Dutch Erasmus Medical Centre where the virus was assigned hCoV-EMC index (human Corona Virus-Erasmus Medical Centre).

The virus belongs to the family of coronaviruses where they got the name for numerous growths on the surface resembling the solar corona and cause different diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS.

SARS was recorded in November 2002 in southern China and spread throughout 29 states. Coronavirus SARS-CoV became the originator of this infection.